The present invention relates to a method for producing an improved charging stock for use in metallurgical processes. This is achieved by combining a molten metal having a known composition with a solid particulate material, also having a known composition, in such a way so as to create a combined material stream.
Alloying charging stocks are used in the production of metal alloy compositions. As an example, in order to create an iron alloy composition have specific physical properties, a specific amount of an alloying charging stock would be added to molten iron. Because an alloy composition having specific physical properties is usually desired, it is beneficial to produce a alloying charging stock having a known size and composition.
Conventional methods of producing an alloying charging stock are well known in the prior art and achieve the charging stock production by mixing a molten metal with a particulate material within a mixing chamber. The mixed product is then cast into a large ingot. The ingot is then removed from the mold and crushed so as to create a plurality of larger coarse pieces of material, smaller fine pieces/chips of material and dust. The coarse pieces are separated from the dust and fine pieces/chips of material and are used for further metallurgical processes. One of the problems with current conventional methods is that the larger coarse pieces are of various sizes. Because the larger sized coarse pieces require more energy to melt than the smaller sized coarse pieces a waste of energy results. This is because when these coarse pieces are later added to a molten metal to produce a metal alloy, the temperature of the molten metal to which they are being added must be hot enough to melt the largest ingot. This results in lost energy due to an inefficient heating of the melt. The remaining dust and fine pieces/chips are collected and recycled by being added to the previously mentioned particulate material so as to be remixed with the molten metal. In addition, conventional methods create large amounts of dust and fine pieces/chips and only a limited portion of the resulting ingot can be used for further metallurgical processes while a significant amount of the resulting ingot must be recycled and remixed with the molten metal. Subsequently, because a significant portion of the resulting ingot must be separated and recycled, current conventional methods are inefficient, time consuming and expensive. Furthermore, conventional methods do not apply to any metals containing materials other than aluminum, iron oxide and ferrous alloys. Although improvements have been made in the prior art with respect to improving the charging stock, the main drawback of the casting process remains unchanged.
Subsequently, the need remains for a faster, less expensive and more efficient method of producing an improved charging stock for further use in the production and refining of primary metals, secondary metals and ferrous alloys than can be achieved by conventional methods.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a method for producing an improved, uniformly sized charging stock for use in further metallurgical processes while increasing process efficiency and reducing cost and time consumption.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages are readily attained.
A method is provided for producing an improved charging stock for use in further metallurgical processes which includes the steps of providing a source of molten metal of known composition, providing a source of solid particulate material of a known composition which is compatible with the molten metal, combining the molten metal source with the solid particulate material source so as to produce a combined stream and forming the combined stream into uniformly sized metal billets for use in further metallurgical processes.
Other objects and advantages will appear hereinbelow.